NEWTON, MA - Saint Joseph's (22-10, 14-6 GNAC) dealt conference foe Mount Ida College (10-20, 6-12) a pair of losses on Friday, 4-0 and 13-0. First-year Emily Leverone '11 (Hampton, NH), 5-8 on the day with five runs and four RBI, hit her seventh home run of the season in the third inning of the opener to gain sole possession of the program single-season mark. Starting pitchers Kiera Walsh '11 (Benton, ME) (8-3) and Madylan Kluna '12 (Standish, ME) (6-5) combined to strike out 15 batters and allow just three hits in thirteen innings of play in the twin bill.

GAME ONE

St. Joe's, which managed to record just six hits in the opener, scored two runs in the second and added single scores in the fourth and seventh innings en route to a 4-0 victory. Leverone's historic home run in the top of the third, a two-run blast that also plated Alysn Ludwig '09 (Waldoboro, ME), who reached on an error, gave the Lady Monks a 2-0 lead. Prior to the blast, Ludwig swiped second, her 57th career stolen base, tying the program record held by Kellie Glantz '97.

With two out in the fourth, Liz Jordan '09 (Sandwich, MA) reached with a bunt single, stole second base and scored on a Mustangs miscue off the bat of Ludwig. Leverone scored the fourth run for the Lady Monks when she doubled and was sent home by an Alyssa Dunn '11 (Standish, ME) base knock.

Leverone went 2-4 with two runs and two RBI and Walsh fanned eight while allowing two hits in posting her second shutout of the season.

Mustangs pitcher Kerri Kwasek '09 (Framingham, MA) (9-10) suffered the loss, allowing two earned runs, six hits and three walks with one strikeout. Mount Ida committed three errors in the losing effort.

GAME TWO

St. Joe's tallied 15 hits in the nightcap win, including six doubles, as three different players registered three-hit efforts and all nine starters collected at least one base hit. The Lady Monks scored three times in the third, twice in the fifth and delivered the knockout blow with eight runs in the sixth to take the 13-0 victory and sweep the hosts.

Kluna went on to retire 15 straight Mount Ida hitters after allowing a base hit to Erica Belliveau '12 (Tewksbury, MA) with two out in the first frame. The rookie hurler fanned seven without allowing a walk in six innings of work.

Anna Willis '10 (Gorham, ME) reached with a two-out bunt single in the third and was promptly sent home when Leverone doubled to right-center. After Liddy van der Linden '10 (Worcester, MA) singled, Dunn followed with a double to plate both runners and lift the Lady Monks to a 3-0 edge.

St. Joe's enjoyed more two-out production in the fifth to gain a 5-0 advantage. van der Linden sent Leverone, who doubled with two down, scrambling home and later scored on a Jillian Kimball '10 (Albany Township, ME) two-bagger to account for the scoring in the frame.

The eight-run sixth came with the help of a bases-loaded double by Ashley Geel '12 (St. George, ME), RBI singles by Leverone and Dunn and a pair bases-loaded walks earned by van der Linden, Brittany Worcester '12 (Cushing, ME) and Michelle Prevost '12 (Topsham, ME).

van der Linden was 3-3 with three runs and two RBI, Dunn went 3-3 with two runs batted in and Leverone collected three hits in four trips to the plate with two doubles, three runs and two RBI. Geel drove home three runs and Willis scored twice in the one-sided victory.

Leverone is in the midst of one of the finest offensive seasons in program history. Through 32 games, she is hitting .571 (60-105) with 14 doubles, which ties the team mark (Lisa Pichaske, 1995; Sue Picard, 2002). The single-season record for batting is held by Julie MacMichael '93, who hit .515 in 1992. The sophomore slugger has registered at least one hit in all but four games this year and has posted multiple hits in 21 games. Leverone, the leading hitter in the GNAC, has been on fire of late. In her last eight games, she has gone 18-25 (.720) at the plate, including seven doubles and three home runs, with a 1.360 slugging percentage and has scored 12 runs and driven home 12 during the hot streak.

St. Joe's will wrap up its regular season schedule when the Lady Monks play host to Lasell College (12:00 PM Saturday) and Albertus Magnus College (1:00 PM Sunday) this weekend. The Mustangs have a very busy weekend of GNAC play ahead, traveling to Norwich University Saturday, Suffolk University Sunday and Albertus Magnus College Monday. Saturday's contests will start at 3:00 PM in Norwich, VT.